crimson beloved: the untold story
by Lotuss TearsScaRR
Summary: Three unforgettable timelines. Two unrequited souls. One love. A first endeavor in the history of FFVII fanfiction to spurn a romance of this unique couple, we tell you *their* untold story.
1. frosted wings

**_A Lotuss Tears & ScaRR coalescence ~_**   
**_crimson beloved: the untold story_**

  
  
  


**crimson beloved******

**part I : frosted wings**   
**by ScaRR**   


It was winter.

She almost marvelled in the sheer loveliness of dappled snowflakes descending upon a pristine blanket of white, which lavishly enveloped the placid terrain before her.

Drawing back the lustrous curtains, she observed a rousing blizzard as the snow began to buffet more tumultuously, and fragments of ice crystals were insinuatingly gathering at the scaffolding edges of the Shinra Inc. Building.

She was an ethereal beauty, her flaxen hair gracefully stroking her shoulders, her doleful prussians mesmerized with an almost child-like curiosity as sleets of rain flailed against the glass in a deluge of snowstorm.

But she still hated the snow.

It seemed powerless as she sought refuge in the warm fireplace by the luxuriously-furnished chamber, thrashing furiously in a futile attempt to benumb her.

It wasn't always so comfortable in winter, she remembered.

She once hated to see the last leaf perform its dying dance before fluttering to the frosted ground, knowing that it wasn't long before she was going to spend many an embittered night in suffered desertion. She had a choice, she was well aware of that. She could ensue the advice of most desperate, shivering street-scums and head to the infamous Don's for harborage and love.

Love? Love seemed to be a particularly misused word to her nowadays. Love wasn't a vulgar tumble on the sheets for a couple of gil and some retreat from the cold, love wasn't an exchange of chastity for material aspirations.

Love wasn't what she was born with.

She knew her mother never loved her, and it broke her heart. Sometimes she wondered why a despairing prostitute didn't kill her baby before giving birth to some unwanted child, but she knew that she managed to crawl from the miserable ghettos of the Sector Two slums and secure a decent job in the upper world.

A common maid at the influential and prestigious Shinra Power Company, and she was satisfied. She suspected her beauty was an unnecessary yet significant advantage, but she chose to believe in sheer luck.

And maybe it was also luck that the Head Commandant of Shinra Military Force decided to barge into the executive lounge.

"You. What are you doing here?"

Coarse and barbarous as he was, she bowed meekly in conventional respect.

"Cleaning, Sir."

He traced a scornful streak at the nearest mantelpiece and scrutinized his spotless finger with a grudging approval. "You've done your job, girl, stop wasting time with the fireplace."

"Right away, Sir." She promptly withdrew the duster from the sofa, a twinge of besetment unsettling in her heart. She always thought of General Heidegger as a pompous bastard, and his haughty demeanor towards her only served to inflict a harsher revulsion.

"Get changed and hurry to your chambers. The president's cocktail will commence in a few hours, and he will not tolerate any form of tardiness."

She nodded briskly and ushered out of the room, suddenly realizing that she was to be needed at her quarters in preparation for the night's company banquet.

Steel-capped boots clicking upon the polished corridor, she headed swiftly to the 42nd floor, hoping she wasn't too late just yet.

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Dark crimson was indubitably his most suited colour, he mused.

A wry smile greeted the mirror as he straightened his immaculate suit and beamed affably at the reflection before him.

He presumed a dashing stance, which faded as a withering blossom did when memories of his rejected proposal wrenched through his deceiving stance and clouded his mind's eye.

It seemed only yesterday when he made the biggest fool out of himself.

_Marry me, Lucrecia._

He felt a sudden embarrassment, a twinge of scorn for his own faltering attempt. He couldn't remember sounding more foolish, or more impetuous.

He should have known better.

_I'm sorry._

She was sorry. She was always fucking sorry. Sorry for dilemmas that she wasn't responsible for, sorry for scientific experiments gone awry, sorry for refusing him.

But he took it with such grace, such nonchalance, she enchanted him with one of her beautiful smiles that almost seemed to gratify even the most disconsolate anguish.

But his heart remained unmoved. Her simple apology went unheard, drowned in the throbbing wretchedness of his heartbroken spirit.

He knew she loved Hojo, the son of a bitch psycho whose presence repulsed even the most adamant hearts with its despicable vileness, and refused to acknowledge the astringent jealousy that knotted the chains she wound around his heart.

He wasn't jealous.

He shouldn't be. Of course he was a better candidate than some deranged maniac, and if that bitch chose to spend the rest of her miserable life with him, then he wished them all the best in their pitiful lives together.

Somewhere in his tormented mind, an unpretentious cry of protest tore at his nerves.

_You love her. You love her so much it spurns your false hatred._

"Fucking bullshit." He strode out of his suite in obnoxious denial, knowing that despite his vehement refutation, perhaps he really was jealous, after all.

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"You're still smarting, aren't you?" Charcoal eyes met sable as a condoling hand grasped his shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks for reminding me." A sullen expression overcast his forced chuckle. "By the way, how's our new recruit doing?"

The ebony-haired Turk barely grimaced, the slightest of a crease wrinkling his smooth forehead. "You're changing the subject again, Sir."

"Spare me the formalities, Tseng. You know we're much better of as confidants." Vincent gave a dismissive wave of his hand.

"In any case, I think it would a better idea to expel all pent-up dissatisfaction -"

"I'm fine, really-"

"-than hoard an increasing anger in that broken heart of yours." Ignoring his blatant interruption, Tseng paused and thrust him a skeptical gaze. "It really wouldn't do for my boss to lament in self-pity, you know."

"Because it's my job."

"True to your principle, Vincent."

"It's not a principal," He cast a hasty glance at the polished surface of an elevator, catching sight of a melancholy twin, stark raven bangs shrouding his misted eyes. "The Turks don't have a principle."

With a heavy heart, he trudged unenthusiastically through the huge brass doors of the function room, his partner only a close step behind him.   
  


_to be continued_   
  
  
  



	2. first sight

**crimson beloved******

**part II: first sight**   
**by Lotuss Tears**   


Her eyes met the doors as they swung open and she automatically stepped forward to resume her duty of taking and hanging the coats of the guests that entered. She stifled a gasp as her eyes met with the raven haired leader of the Turks.

"C-can I take your j-jacket sir?" she stuttered inwardly, cursing herself for sounding like a nervous school girl.

The man held her gaze for a moment...a single moment but to her it seemed oh so much longer…she felt trapped in those orbs of black, held prisoner by his gaze…finally he shattered the silence by reaching into his jacket pocket and retrieving the invitation holding it out to her.

"Thank you. I'll hold onto my jacket, but you can take this." His voice was soft and quiet…._Almost dangerous,_ she thought to herself. She reached out to take the invitation and cried out as she tripped.

In mere seconds strong arms caught her, breaking her fall and she was again looking up into those eyes, she quickly gained her composure and managed to stand hoping that her face wasn't turning as red as her serving uniform.

"Are you alright?" He asked helping her to her feet

"Yes…thank you, I'm fine." She said, brushing herself off, crimson blazing across her face.

The man nodded and turned away towards the Shinra executives table, his partner handed her his invitation and quickly followed the raven haired man to the table, as they approached two other men rose from the table and greeted them.

When the two were out of earshot she turned and cursed.

"Of all the dumbass, stupid things to do!!" she half whispered half screamed, brushing her hands through her hair. She was greeted by a chuckle.

"That was priceless, Scar, you know that?" The voice was mocking but also friendly.

Scarlet turned around and smiled sheepishly at her friend.

"Don't you have anything better to do then spy on me, Meri?" She said, giving her friend a quick hug.

The 5'4 brown-haired serving maid chuckled. "I do but it's so much fun watching you trip over yourself," she said, returning the hug.

Scarlet cast her gaze to the executive table, which didn't go unnoticed by her friend.

"Don't tell me you got a thing for the leader of the Turks…" Meri smirked, following her gaze.

"No…it's nothing like that!" She said. "He's just so mysterious….so quiet…so…" She faded off and Meri laughed.

"I'm surprised you haven't been up on gossip, Scarlet…that's Vincent Valentine...and his heart belongs to another." Meri said, shaking her head and putting an arm around her friend.

"Who?" Scarlet asked raising an eyebrow.

"That highbred hussy Lucrecia." Meri snorted. "Rumor has it he asked her to marry him and she shot him down."

"Who in her right mind would shoot down someone like him?" Scarlet asked in disbelief as they moved back into the kitchen.

"She's Hojo's property," was all Meri said.

"Hojo!? That's disgusting!" Scarlet practically shrieked.

Meri chuckled again "You really have something for him don't you Scarlet?"

"I'd just like to be closer to him…find out more about him" she looked around as they moved to the back of the kitchen. "What are we doing back here?" she asked.

Meri smiled, removing her name tag and holding it out to her. "I've been assigned to the Executive table tonight…wanna trade places? It would be the perfect opportunity to get close to him."

"But…we'd g-get caught" Scarlet stuttered.

"Are you kidding me? To the Shinra execs all we are is a number…they don't care about us or pay attention to names…Tell me, do you honestly think they know or care whether your name is Scarlet or Meri?"

Scarlet pondered the question for a few seconds "I guess…I guess you're right." she said, removing her name tag and handing it to Meri.

"That's a girl," said Meri. "Now I'll go greet those guests…and if you happen to serve that freak Hojo then spit in his drink for me hmmm?" She giggled.

Scarlet hugged her friend again and rushed out to the table hoping her excitement wasn't showing too much.

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Vincent swirled his drink in his glass and tried to shut out Reno…the new recruit had a fondness for brandy he had discovered, he had to drink enough to make a fool of himself…and truth be told, Vincent didn't care if he did.

His night had gone even further downhill when Hojo arrived with Lucrecia on his arm, and as if that didn't send a dagger to his heart, the engagement ring on Lucrecias's finger plunged the blade deep and wrenched it around inside.

Vincent reached out to pick up his glass and his hand brushed across another, he looked up to see the same girl he had seen at the door earlier. She blushed and reached over, refilling his glass, then moving onto the other executives.

For a second, he was puzzled. _Wasn't her name Scarlet?_ He thought to himself.

He shook his head dismissing it, and looked over "his" Turks.

_One that wont shut up, one that wont say anything, and one that knows me way to well…God, what a mess..._ His gaze traveled to the end of the table where Hojo and Lucrecia sat…close to each other.

A_nd one blind…ignorant bitc….._

He shook his head to clear it, perhaps he had had too much to drink…he put the glass down and closed his eyes, he was surprised when the image of the young woman he had met…Scarlet...or Meri…whatever her name was, entered his mind. She was certainly a beautiful woman, no doubt trying to climb the ladder of corporate Shinra.

The Turks were a different part of Shinra…at the top of that ladder they watched above all to insure the President's safety, and to carry out his dirty work. Climbing the ladder was often a difficult task as many of the rungs were already broken, or broke as you set foot on them.

The look in her eyes when he had gazed into them…like a deer caught in the headlights…but nevertheless she had strength, her eyes showed that she was not just another brainless Shinra stooge, but a woman of intelligence.

Vincent opened his eyes…he quickly turned away as he saw Hojo kiss Lucrecia, out of the corner of his eye he caught the scientist looking his way and grinning.

Grabbing his glass Vincent got to his feet and began to walk out of the room, he couldn't take much more of this…he needed a breath of fresh air.

Tseng sighed as he watched his boss and friend leave, when the President cast a questioning glance towards the retreating form of Vincent. Tseng shook his head and said something suddenly had come up requiring Vincent's immediate attention. The president seemed to buy the lie and went back to his business.

Tseng watched the doors swing shut, and a small smile crossed his lips as he saw a small form sneak out the door after Vincent…the young lady from the door he realized. He chuckled and turned around in time to catch a dirty joke thrown from Reno's almost drunken lips….   
  
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_to be continued_   
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Please not that this fanfic _strongly_ denies any form of self-insertion. ScaRR assures you that despite the constant reference of Scarlet as "Scar", she has _no _intention to subtly include herself as the love interest of _anyone._   
  
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